It's night on a Paris bridge. A girl leans over Seine River with tears in her eyes and a violent yearning to drown her sorrows. Out of nowhere someone takes an interest in her. He is Gabor,... See full summary »

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Storyline

It's night on a Paris bridge. A girl leans over Seine River with tears in her eyes and a violent yearning to drown her sorrows. Out of nowhere someone takes an interest in her. He is Gabor, a knife thrower who needs a human target for his show. The girl, Adele, has never been lucky and nowhere else to go. So she follows him. They travel along the northern bank of the Mediterranean to perform and in the process win a big fortune through gambling. Although both of them continue a platonic relationship, the sex-starved girl attempts to sleep with handsome guys she encounters throughout the journey. Finally, Adele falls in love with a newly-wed groom and both of them elope to Greece, while Gabor is stuck in Turkey. Then Adele is dumped by the groom. Only by now both Gabor and Adele realize that luck isn't with them unless they get together again. But both of them are so broke that they can't even feed themselves, let alone getting back to Paris and reunite... Written by
L.H. Wong <lhw@sfs.org.sg>

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Trivia

The opening sequence lasts for more than 7 minutes with a monologue by Vanessa Paradis. In the DVD commentary, director 'Patrice Leconte' says that a single shot was necessary using several cameras. See more »

Goofs

In the hospital where Adele and Gabor bet on the fly, the wagered watch is on the desk before Gabor hands it to Adele. In the next shot the watch is back on the desk. See more »

User Reviews

Daniel Auteuil won a Cesar (the French Academy Award) for his performance here and he certainly deserved it. His portrait of a knife thrower is chilling and warm at the same time. It is amazing that Auteuil did not become a Hollywood star. He has been nominated for Cesar's 12 times and has won twice. Only Gerard Depardieu has been nominated more (15 times and 2 wins). While Depardieu has made more than a dozen Hollywood films, Auteuil has been in none.

Bsides Auteuil's outstanding and soulful performance, Vanessa Paradis is astonishing. She is as sexy and openly seductive as Greta Garbo. It is easy to see why she has been Johnny Depps lover/companion for the past 20 years or so.

The film is artistic. So do not expect a linear Hollywood plot or easily understood characters. Just let the film's ambiance sweep you away to another world.

3 of 4 people found this review helpful.
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